Dr M attacks Mukhriz’s “corrupt” rivals
By Shannon Teoh (The Malaysian Insider)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 – Just days before the Umno elections, former president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed lashed out at Youth chief candidates going up against his son Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.
He dedicated most of his keynote address at Malay rights group Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa's summit to the issue of corruption in the party, just days after the Umno disciplinary board had let off Khairy Jamaluddin with a warning and cleared Datuk Dr Khir Toyo of money politics.
The two men are Mukhriz's rivals in the Umno Youth chief race, and Dr Mahathir appeared to threw away all pretense today to stump for his son.
Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister said that many leaders now did not care if Malays were "destroyed as long as they gain victory for themselves, become ministers or prime minister, get contracts and get money."
Dr Mahathir also slammed Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of outgoing President Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi for wanting "to be the youngest prime minister instead of fighting for his race and country, only wanting the highest position for himself as soon as possible via any means necessary, whether legal or not."
While still not having returned to the party he left last year in a bid to oust Abdullah from office, Dr Mahathir's influence looms large over the party and his comments at the right-wing Malay assembly was an attempt to call on Malay grassroots to reject leaders who "everyone knows have been giving out big money."
He said that the spread of money politics in the party has caused it to become weak.
"A well known Malay party lost out in the 12th general elections. Even the Malay party that won is afraid that its partners will reject it. Nobody respects us anymore," he said, referring to Umno and Pas respectively.
He warned that if Malays sold out their race for a "bit of money, or for positions," they would eventually lose whatever they were chasing for as everything would be controlled by others.
"Then we will become slaves, begging all the time," he added.
Dr Mahathir explained that leaders who got there through graft, would also be open to being bribed as they would need the means to continue bribing others to remain in power.
"To receive these bribes, they will follow the orders of the bribers and become their agents," he said.
